Mr. Thune, 63, the telegenic senator from South Dakota, will take over as majority leader in January, heading a new Senate Republican majority of at least 52 in tandem with the incoming Trump administration.
They also repudiated Senator Rick Scott of Florida, the favorite of the MAGA faction, showing that in private at least, they prefer to stick with a seasoned establishment figure over one who pitched himself as the most loyal to President-elect Donald J. Trump.
For a lot of people, it was the sense of comfort with John Thune being able to represent what we believe, said fellow South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds after the lengthy closed-door, secret-ballot session.
Mr. Thune may be at the top of the Senate shortly, but it was not an easy path for the star high school athlete who grew up in tiny Murdo, S.D.
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